Refrigerated shop counter



July 23, 1940. G. OLIN 2,208,936

REFRIGERATED SHOP COUNTER Filed Sept. 28 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 .19 I IIo [F1 x f. F

wz 7 -g v 50 u \NVENTOR= GOSTA OLIH- ATTORNEYS July 23, 1940. QLIN REFRIGERATED SHOP COUNTER Filed Sept. 28, 1938' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmam T w w Mn m T m ,A G m W n July 23, 1940,

G. OLIN REFRIGERATED SHOP COUNTER Filed Sept. 28, 1938' 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 3 2 6 /f I A I g4 l 6 Q6 I 2? I 3 -i/ 2/ 4 I i 9 I i 4 6 I i a 93 f E Eno -f 5% on ,m

ATTORNEYS July 23, 1940. QLIN 2,208,936

REFRIGERATED SHOP COUNTER Filed Sept. 28, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEHTOW Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application Septembcr'ZS, 1938, Serial No. "232,036 In Sweden September 24, 1937 4 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to produce a refrigerated shop counter in which the accessible space to the largest possible extent can be utilised. for the display of articles for sale, and these articles at the same time may be exposed to the customers in a tasteful manner, the customers obtaining through a front glass wall of the counter a complete survey of the various articles arranged on trays inside the counter.

In attaining said object the purpose of the present invention consists in the first place in producing a new and improved design and arrangement of the refrigerating means. Hitherto it has been customary to place the refrigerators or evaporators used in the upper part of the counter immediately below the work-table of the counter and to arrange them horizontally. In this arrangement the refrigerators or evaporators together with the necessary means for removing deposited water of condensation generally occupy a height of about 25 cm. and will therefore conceal the upper part of the interior of the counter which is the most valuable part with regard to the display of articles and serv-- ice. It has been tried to eliminate this disadvantage by making the counter higher. The height of the counter will then, however, be so great that it will become uncomfortable and useless as a work-table. In such cases separate work-tables must be provided in the shop, Whereby the shop equipment will not be unitary, will occupy more store space and cannot become the object of standardization in its entirety.

The above mentioned disadvantages are removed according to the invention by making the refrigerating means consistof vertically placed plate-formed refrigerators arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the counter so as to divide the counter into a number of com-- partments in which the trays carrying the displaced articles may be arranged.

By the provision of such vertical plate-formed refrigerators, which may be very thin, the important advantage is gained that the counter may be made low as such refrigerators do not conceal anything of the upper part of the counter. A work-table may thus be placed on the counter at a comfortableheight. As the whole length of such a work-table maybe utilized for service, it may accommodate the greatest number of the instruments and tools necessary for. the measuring, weighing and wrapping the purchased. articles. If sucha counter is compared with a counter with horizontal refrigerators orevape orators placed at thetop, the advantage is also gained that the space occupied by the horizontal refrigerators or evaporators now may be utilized for increasing the space accessible for the display of articles. In this connectionit is proposed to use the term refrigerators in the broader sense so as to mean refrigerators or evaporators.

The refrigerators may. be of various shapes, but it is particularly suitable to give them a shape gradually narrowing in width downwardly, such as a triangular or trapezium shape, which has the advantage that the cooling centre of the refrigerators will be situated as high as possible.

Other features of the invention will be more closely set forth in connection with the detailed description below of the embodiments of the invention illustrated on the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a vertical cross-section through an embodiment of the counter according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear View of the same counter.

Fig- 3 shows on a larger scale afragrnentary vertical longitudinal section through the counter taken on the line III-III in Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line IVIV in Fig. 3. r

Fig. 5 shows a vertical cross-section through a modified embodiment of the counter.

In Fig. 1, I designates the front wall of the counter, turned towards the customers. This wall consists of double glass plates and is suitably arranged inclined backwards to give to the customers a good surveyof the exposed'articles.

The carrying construction of the counters consists accordingto Figs. 1-4 of the refrigerators themselves, which are designated by Z and con sist of vertically placed, thin, plate-formed refrigerators arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the counter and dividing the counter into a plurality of compartments 3. The refrigerators 2 may for example be made from two sheets 4, 5 (Fig. 3) of stainless steel Welded together, a space of circulation 6 for the refrigerating medium being provided between said sheets.

In the embodiment according to Figs. 1-4, the refrigerators have a shape of downwardly narrowing width, for example a triangular or trapezium shape, so that the cooling centre of the refrigerators will be situated as high as possible. The refrigerating medium may be admitted and discharged either at the upper or at the lower part of the refrigerators.

According to Fig. 1 the refrigerating medium is admitted and discharged by the inlet pipe 1 and the discharge pipe 8 respectively, which pipes run along the whole counter and are secured in the bottom part of the counter below the refrigerators. They may for example be secured to blocks 30. From the pipes I, 8 vertical pipes 3!, 32 are branched off to the refrigerators so that the refrigerators are supported by said branches 3|, 32 and the pipes l, 8 attached to the blocks 30. A horizontal plate 33 is attached below the refrigerators. Water of condensation dripping down on this plate may .be readily removed by a suitable conduit not shown.

Conduits of circulation for the refrigerating medium are formed by pressed recesses in the two sheets 4, 5. Along the front edge of the refrigerators such a pressed recess Ill runs, and from this recess rearwardly running pressed recesses H are branched off. Between the latter pressed recesses l2 run which are branched oil from a pressed recess l3 running substantially parallel with the rear edge of the refrigerator so that, as shown in Fig. 1, a winding conduit is formed through which the refrigerating medium flows from the bottom towards the top as indicated by arrows. Behind the pressed recess l3 a similar recess is pressed in so that a return conduit for the refrigerating medium to the discharge pipe 8 is formed between the latter recesses. The pressed recesses may if desired be replaced by strips of corresponding shape secured by welding between the sheets 4, 5. The pressed recesses or welded strips contribute to the stiffening of the refrigerators. The refrigerators and the whole construction is braced by means of through rods 15 arranged near to the rear edge of the refrigerators and running in the longitudinal direction of the counter. These rods are enclosed by tube-formed distance members it fitted between the refrigerators. By means of threads and nuts at the ends of the rod I5 the whole construction is held together.

At the top the refrigerators support a worktable I! of suitable material. This work-table may be solid and have a width somewhat larger than the largest width of the refrigerators. The work-table may, however, if desired, be provided with an interior refrigerating space which communicates with one or more of the refrigerating conduits of the refrigerators. In such a case the underside of the work-table ought to be covered by a layer of heat-insulating material to prevent water of condensation to be deposited on the underside of the work-table with consequent dripping of water on the articles in the counter.

On the work-table I! or the upper part of the refrigerators a longitudinal plate 34 is secured, which plate isso bent that a screened off light ramp 35 is formed, by means of which the articles in the interior of the counter are efficiently illuminated. Said plate 34 may further carry a number of standards 36, on which oneor more brackets 31 for the support of glass shelves 38 are attached. By widening the lower part of the counter as indicated, a horizontal shelf 39 is formed on which the customers may place parcels and other things. The lower end of the glass wall I may be secured to the shelf 39 in the indicated manner, whereas its upper end suitably is secured to the plate 34.

The refrigerators divide'the interior of the counter into a number of compartments 3 which communicate with each other in front of the refrigerators. In said compartments the trays l8 are arranged on which the articles are placed. The trays l8 are in Fig. 1 only indicated by chained lines, but their design and arrangement are shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The trays are slidably secured on guiding strips l9 screwed on to bosses 2U welded to the sides of the refrigerators, said strips being also screwed on to strips 2| secured along the rear edge of the refrigerators. The bottom 22 of the trays [8 may be of glass or, if desired, consist of a grate of stainless steel to facilitate the air circulation. The bottom 22 is on each side inserted in a plate 23, which is bent in a manner clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that the plate 23 embraces the guiding strip l9 and at the same time forms a groove into which the edge of the bottom is inserted. Hereby the guiding strips l9 will carry the trays and allow them to be pushed back and forth. If desired, side walls 24 of glass may be attached on top of the side plates 23 as indicated in the upper part of Fig. 3. At the front edge of the bottom 22 an upwardly extending inclined plate is secured as indicated at 25 in Fig. 1. At the rear the bottom 22 is secured to a plate 26, which is attached to a rectangular rear piece 21 of wood, in which a handle 28 for the tray is fastened. The rear pieces 21 are so dimensioned and arranged that when all trays are completely pushed in, they will form a closed back wall on the counter. The edges of the rear pieces 27 may be abutting closely against each other when the trays are fully pushed in, as shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 4. In this position the rear pieces will abut along their side edges against the strips 2| attached along the rear edges of the refrigerators. To effect a tight closure, the strips 2| may be covered by rubber of other tightening material. In the pushed in position the upper edge of the rear pieces 21 should further abut against the distance members l6 which also limit the inward motion of the trays. For this purpose the tube-formed distance members l6 which extend between the strips 2! are provided with a fiat rear side 29 forming a stop for the rear pieces 21. The tension rods l5 with the distance members l6 may also be so arranged that the rear sides of the latter will fall in front of the adjacent upper and lower edges of two adjacent trays and thereby contribute to a tight closure.

The rear wall formed by said rear pieces 21 may suitably be inclined backwards. In the described example the rear wall is parallel with the front wall but it may of course also have another angle of inclination than the front'wall. The angle of inclination of the rear edge of the refrigerators will of course also determine the angle of inclination of the rear wall and the size of the angle between the rear pieces 21 and the bottom of the trays l8 in order to obtain a satisfactory closure everywhere of the rear wall of the counter by means of said rear pieces.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 5, the plate-formed refrigerators or evaporators 4!]- are formed substantially as a parallelogram, and the inlet pipe 4| and the discharge pipe 42 for the refrigerating medium are placed in front of the lower part of the refrigerators at the front side of the counter in a widened portion of the latter. The trays 43 arranged between the refrigerators may be adapted in a similar way as described above and be supported by the refrigerators. In this embodiment, however, the refrigerators do not support the counter. The supporting construction may consist for example of 7-formed girders 44 to which the refrigerators are secured in some suitable way. Also here the rear pieces 45 of the trays may form in the fully pushed in position a closed rear wall by arranging and adapting them in a similar way as described above.

If desired, a heat radiator of suitable type may be placed in the lower part of the counter to regulate the degree of humidity. Said heat radiator may if suitable consist of some heated member being a part of the refrigerating plant.

On the drawings the front and rear sides of the counter have been shown plane. There is nothing, however, to prevent said walls from being made with a broken or curved surface.

Further it is to be noted that the size, height and width of the trays may be varied as desired also in one and the same counter.

Furthermore it is obvious that the trays may vary in width, height and length without departing from the spirit of the invention. As before, the term refrigerators or plate formed refrigerators may be taken to include evaporators or plate formed evaporators, respectively when used in the appended claims.

Having now particularly described the nature of my invention and the manner of its operation what I claim is:

1. A shop counter provided with vertically placed, plate-formed refrigerators arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the counter, said refrigerators dividing the interior of the counter into a number of vertical compartments in which slidable trays carrying articles for display and sale are arranged, the refrigerators viewed in the longitudinal direction of the counter having a shape with downwardly narrowing width.

2. A shop counter provided with vertically placed, plate-formed refrigerators arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the counter, said refrigerators dividing the interior of the counter into a number of vertical compartments in which slidable trays carrying articles for display and sale are arranged, the refrigerators viewed in the longitudinal direction of the counter having a generally triangular downwardly narrowing shape.

3. A shop counter provided with vertically placed, plate-formed refrigerators arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the counter, said refrigerators dividing the interior of the counter into a number of vertical compartments in which slidable trays carrying articles for display and sale are arranged, the refrigerators viewed in the longitudinal direction of the counter having a trapezium-like downwardly narrowing shape.

4. A shop counter provided with vertically placed, plate-formed refrigerators arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the counter, said refrigerators dividing the interior of the counter into a number of vertical compartments in which slidable trays carrying articles for display and sale are arranged, said refrigerators consisting of two sheets of stainless steel welded together and between which circulation conduits for the refrigerating medium are formed, the refrigerators being braced together by means of rods running in the longitudinal direction of the counter and by tubular distance members surrounding said rods and fitted between the refrigerators.

Gos'rA OLIN. 

